High School Focus: Football Fever

High School Focus

Season Starts Tonight

Hampton Among Teams In Action

Will new quarterback Jason Johnson have an immediate impact on Denbigh?

Can Warwick end a 5-year jinx against Hampton schools?

Will Woodside and/or Jamestown snare a first victory?

Answers to these and many more questions will be delivered tonight and Saturday in the opening weekend of the 1997 high school football season.

Thirteen games involving area teams are scheduled, including four Group AAA Peninsula District matchups. Debuting Jamestown High is the lone Group AA Bay Rivers District team in action, while seven of the 10 Group A Tidewater and Tri-Rivers District teams play non-district games.

Hampton opens its quest for a third consecutive state Division 5 title against second-year school Heritage tonight at Darling Stadium in a 7:30 game.

The Crabbers have a 38-2 record in the Ronald Curry era and hope he can lead them to a Division 5 three-peat.

The biggest question mark for Hampton is the offensive line, where center Adam Lively and tight end Bobby Blizzard are the lone returning starters.

Heritage, buoyed by a season's experience and familiarity with coach Roger Pierce's system, hopes to improve on last year's 67-0 loss to Hampton. The blend of veterans such as Antonio Mayfield and newcomers such as Joe Wilson should make that possible.

The most interesting matchup of the four Peninsula District games comes Saturday when Phoebus and Warwick collide at 2 p.m. at Todd Stadium.

Warwick has the experienced talent to challenge for the district title, but must overcome its recent trend of losing to city of Hampton opponents. The Raiders haven't beaten a Hampton school since 1991.

Phoebus, one of the four Hampton high schools, has beaten Warwick five consecutive times. The Phantoms will show Warwick a different offensive look - tailback Antwoine Womack, who averaged more than 20 carries per game the past four years, is now in a University of Virginia uniform.

Replacing him is Gavin Walls, who hopes to be an instant force. The Phantoms figure to have a more balanced attack with receivers like Maurice Shanks playing bigger roles.

The Phoebus defense faces a stern test from a Warwick offense guided by multi-talented Michael Vick. The senior field general has veteran ball carriers Aaron Burke and Tim Green to call on as well as all-district receiver Andrae Harrison.

Archrivals Denbigh and Menchville, who traditionally met in the season finale until last year, open against each other tonight at 7:30 at Todd Stadium.

Denbigh's hopes hinge on Johnson, a transfer from Warwick, who will run the offense.

In 1995, he passed for 1,189 yards as a sophomore for the Raiders. Last year he moved to wide receiver when Vick came over from now defunct Ferguson.

Menchville has a proven runner in Bobby Stabler, but coach Tom Jacob is concerned about the line of newcomers blocking for him.

Woodside, which finished 0-10 in its debut season, hopes to kindle instant success this season on the road against former Bay Rivers entry Lakeland. The host Cavaliers are primed for their second year in the Group AAA Southeastern District.

Jamestown plays its first ever game against King George, a perennial power in the Battlefield District. The Eagles play their home games at Cooley Field.